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The trial lawyers should be flagged for encroachment or perhaps unnecessary roughness. Certainly, they have stirred up a legal hornet’s nest without providing a substantial benefit to football fans. In yet another example of coupons for us and millions of dollars for lawyers, the National Football League settled a class action lawsuit last week regarding its Sunday Ticket satellite TV package.
The televised broadcast of NFL games is scrambled to avoid theft but can be picked up on satellite by purchasing the Direct Ticket package which allows viewing of all NFL games during the course of the season. Lawyers filed a class action lawsuit stating the NFL was guilty of price fixing since viewers could buy only the entire season and not a single game.
As a result of the class settlement, fans will be able to purchase NFL games on a week-by-week basis beginning this upcoming season. Past subscribers will get a rebate ranging from $8 to $21. The NFL will pony up $13 million in legal fees, administrative costs and payments to subscribers. The plaintiff lawyers walk away with a hefty $3.7 million.
As usual, NFL fans will absorb the costs. What a deal for the lawyers.
Bruce Hicks
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